MINIMUM DESIGN LOADS FOR BUILDING AND OTHER STRUCTURES
4.0 LIVE LOADS
4.1 DEFINITION
Live loads are those loads produced by the use
and occupancy of the building or other structure and
do not include construction or environmental loads
such as wind load, snow load, rain load, earthquake
load, flood load, or dead load. Live loads on a roof
are those produced (1) during maintenance by work-
ers, equipment, and materials; and (2) during the life
of the structure by movable objects such as planters
and by people.
4.2 UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED LOADS
4.2.1 Required Live Loads
The live loads used in the design of buildings
and other structures shall be the maximum loads ex-
pected by the intended use or occupancy but shall in
no case be less than the minimum uniformly distrib-
uted unit loads required by Table 4-1.
4.2.2 Provision for Partitions
In office buildings or other buildings, where par-
titions will be erected or rearranged, provision for
partition weight shall be made, whether or not parti-
tions are shown on the plans, unless the specified live
load exceeds 80 lb/ft2 (3.83 kN/m2).
4.3 CONCENTRATED LOADS
Floors and other similar surfaces shall be de-
signed to support safely the uniformly distributed live
loads prescribed in Section 4.2 or the concentrated
load, in pounds (kilonewtons), given in Table 4-1,
whichever produces the greater load effects. Unless
otherwise specified, the indicated concentration shall
be assumed to be uniformly distributed over an area
2.5 ft2 (762 mm) [6.25 ft2 (0.58 m2)] and shall be lo-
cated so as to produce the maximum load effects in
the structural members.
Any single panel point of the lower chord of ex-
posed roof trusses or any point along the primary
structural members supporting roofs over manufactur-
ing, commercial storage and warehousing, and com-
mercial garage floors shall be capable of carrying
safely a suspended concentrated load of not less than
2,000 lb (poundforce) (8.90 kN) in addition to dead
8
load. For all other occupancies, a load of 200 lb
(0.89 kN) shall be used instead of 2,000 lb (8.90
kN).
4.4 LOADS ON HANDRAILS, GUARDRAIL
SYSTEMS, GRAB BAR SYSTEMS, VEHICLE
BARRIER SYSTEMS, AND FIXED LADDERS
4.4.1 Definitions
Handrail: A rail grasped by hand for guidance
and support. A handrail assembly includes the hand-
rail, supporting attachments and structures.
Fixed Ladder: A ladder that is permanently at-
tached to a structure, building, or equipment.
Guardrail system: A system of building compo-
nents near open sides of an elevated surface for the
purpose of minimizing the possibility of a fall from
the elevated surface by people, equipment or
material.
Grab bar system: A bar provided to support
body weight in locations such as toilets, showers and
tub enclosures.
Vehicle barrier system: A system of building
components near open sides of a garage floor or
ramp, or building walls which act as restraints for
vehicles.
4.4.2 Loads
(a) Handrail assemblies and guardrail systems shall
be designed to resist a load of 50 lb/ft (pound-
force per linear foot) (0.73 kN/m) applied in any
direction at the top and to transfer this load
through the supports to the structure. For one-
and two-family dwellings, the minimum load
shall be 20 lb/ft (0.29 kN/m).
Further, all handrail assemblies and guardrail
systems shall be able to resist a single concen-
trated load of 200 lb (0.89 kN), applied in any
direction at any point along the top, and have at-
tachment devices and supporting structure to
transfer this loading to appropriate structural ele-
ments of the building. This load need not be as-
sumed to act concurrently with the loads speci-
fied in the preceding paragraph.
Intermediate rails (all those except the hand-
rail), balusters, and panel fillers shall be designed
to withstand a horizontally applied normal load
of 50 lb (0.22 kN) on an area not to exceed 1 ft2
(305 mm2) including openings and space between

rails. Reactions due to this loading are not re-
quired to be superimposed with those of either
preceding paragraph.
(b) Grab bar systems shall be designed to resist a
single concentrated load of 250 lb (1.11 kN) ap-
plied in any direction at any point.
(c) Vehicle barrier systems for passenger cars shall
be designed to resist a single load of 6,000 lb
(26.70 kN) applied horizontally in any direction
to the barrier system, and shall have anchorages
or attachments capable of transferring this load to
the structure. For design of the system the load
shall be assumed to act at a minimum height of
1 ft 6 in. (460 mm) above the floor or ramp sur-
face on an area not to exceed 1 ft2 (305 mm2),
and is not required to be assumed to act concur-
rently with any handrail or guardrail loadings
specified in the preceding paragraphs of Section
4.4.2. Garages accommodating trucks and buses
shall be designed in accordance with an approved
method which contains provision for traffic
railings.
(d) The minimum design live load on fixed ladders
with rungs shall be a single concentrated load of
300 lb, and shall be applied at any point to pro-
duce the maximum load effect on the element be-
ing considered. The number and position of addi-
tional concentrated live load units shall be a
minimum of one unit of 300 lb for every 10 ft of
ladder height. Ship ladders, with treads instead of
rungs, shall have minimum design loads as stairs,
defined in Table 4-1.
(e) Where rails of fixed ladders extend above a floor
or platform at the top of the ladder, each side rail
extension shall be designed to resist a concen-
trated live load of 100 lb in any direction at any
height up to the top of the side rail extension.
4.5 LOADS NOT SPECIFIED
For occupancies or uses not designated in Sec-
tion 4.2. or 4.3, the live load shall be determined in
accordance with a method approved by the authority
having jurisdiction.
4.6 PARTIAL LOADING
The full intensity of the appropriately reduced
live load applied only to a portion of a structure or
member shall be accounted for if it produces a more
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unfavorable effect than the same intensity applied
over the full structure or member.
4.7 IMPACT LOADS
The live loads specified in Sections 4.2.1 and
4.4.2 shall be assumed to include adequate allowance
for ordinary impact conditions. Provision shall be
made in the structural design for uses and loads that
involve unusual vibration and impact forces.
4.7.1 Elevators
All elevator loads shall be increased by 100%
for impact and the structural supports shall be de-
signed within the limits of deflection prescribed by
ANSI/ASME A17.1 [2] and ANSI/ASME A17.2 [1].
4.7.2 Machinery
For the purpose of design, the weight of machin-
ery and moving loads shall be increased as follows to
allow for impact: (1) elevator machinery, 100%; (2)
light machinery, shaft- or motor-driven, 20%; (3) re-
ciprocating machinery or power-driven units, 50%;
and (4) hangers for floors or balconies, 33%. All per-
centages shall be increased where specified by the
manufacturer.
4.8 REDUCTION IN LIVE LOADS
The minimum uniformly distributed live loads,
Lo in Table 4-1, may be reduced according to the fol-
lowing provisions.
4.8.1 General
Subject to the limitations of Sections 4.8.2
through 4.8.5, members for which a value of KLLAT is
400 ft2 (37.16 m2) or more are permitted to be de-
signed for a reduced live load in accordance with the
following formula:
冉 冊
4.57
L = Lo 0.25 ⫹ (Eq. 4-1)
兹KLLAT
in SI:
冉 冊
15
L = Lo 0.25 ⫹
兹KLLAT
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MINIMUM DESIGN LOADS FOR BUILDINGS AND OTHER STRUCTURES
where
L = reduced design live load per square foot (meter)
of area supported by the member;
Lo = unreduced design live load per square foot
(meter) of area supported by the member (see
Table 4-1);
KLL = live load element factor (see Table 4-2); and
AT = tributary area, in square feet (square meters).
L shall not be less than 0.50 Lo for members support-
ing one floor and L shall not be less than 0.40 Lo for
members supporting two or more floors.
4.8.2 Heavy Live Loads
Live loads that exceed 100 lb/ft2 (4.79 kN/m2)
shall not be reduced except the live loads for mem-
bers supporting two or more floors may be reduced
by 20%.
4.8.3 Passenger Car Garages
The live loads shall not be reduced in passenger
car garages except the live loads for members sup-
porting two or more floors may be reduced by 20%.
4.8.4 Special Occupancies
Live loads of 100 lb/ft2 (4.79 kN/m2) or less
shall not be reduced in public assembly occupancies.
4.8.5 Special Structural Elements
Live loads shall not be reduced for one-way
slabs except as permitted in Section 4.8.2. Live loads
of 100 lb/ft2 (4.79 kN/m2) or less shall not be re-
duced for roof members except as specified in Sec-
tion 4.9.
4.9 MINIMUM ROOF LIVE LOADS
4.9.1 Flat, Pitched, and Curved Roofs
Ordinary flat, pitched, and curved roofs shall be
designed for the live loads specified in Eq. 4-2 or
other controlling combinations of loads as discussed
in Section 2, whichever produces the greater load. In
structures such as greenhouses, where special scaf-
folding is used as a work surface for workmen and
materials during maintenance and repair operations, a
lower roof load than specified in Eq. 4-2 shall not be
used unless approved by the authority having
jurisdiction.
Lr = 20R1R2 where 12 ⱕ Lr ⱕ 20 (Eq. 4-2)
10
in SI:
Lr = 0.96R1R2 where 0.58 ⱕ Lr ⱕ 0.96
where Lr = roof live load per square foot of horizon-
tal projection in pounds per square foot (kN/m2).
The reduction factors R1 and R2 shall be deter-
mined as follows:
R1 = 再 1 for At ⱕ 200 ft2 (18.58 m2)
1.2 ⫺ 0.001At for 200 ft2 < At < 600 ft2
0.6 for At ⱖ 600 ft2 (55.74 m2)
in SI:
再
1 for At ⱕ 18.58 m2
R1 = 1.2 ⫺ 0.01076At for 18.58 m2 < At < 55.74 m2
0.6 for At ⱖ 55.74 m2
where At = tributary area in square feet (square me-
ters) supported by any structural member and
再
1 for F ⱕ 4
R2 = 1.2 ⫺ 0.05F for 4 < F < 12
0.6 for F ⱖ 12
where, for a pitched roof, F = number of inches of
rise per foot (in SI: F = 0.12 ⫻ slope, with slope ex-
pressed in percentage points) and, for an arch or
dome, F = rise-to-span ratio multiplied by 32.
4.9.2 Special-Purpose Roofs
Roofs used for promenade purposes shall be de-
signed for a minimum live load of 60 lb/ft2 (2.87
kN/m2). Roofs used for roof gardens or assembly
purposes shall be designed for a minimum live load
of 100 lb/ft2 (4.79 kN/m2). Roofs used for other spe-
cial purposes shall be designed for appropriate loads,
as approved by the authority having jurisdiction.
4.10 CRANE LOADS
The crane live load shall be the rated capacity of
the crane. Design loads for the runway beams, in-
cluding connections and support brackets, of moving
bridge cranes and monorail cranes shall include the
maximum wheel loads of the crane and the vertical
impact, lateral, and longitudinal forces induced by the
moving crane.

4.10.1 Maximum Wheel Load
The maximum wheel loads shall be the wheel
loads produced by the weight of the bridge, as appli-
cable, plus the sum of the rated capacity and the
weight of the trolley with the trolley positioned on its
runway at the location where the resulting load effect
is maximum.
4.10.2 Vertical Impact Force
The maximum wheel loads of the crane shall be
increased by the percentages shown below to deter-
mine the induced vertical impact or vibration force:
Monorail cranes (powered) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Cab-operated or remotely operated bridge cranes
(powered) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Pendant-operated bridge cranes (powered) . . . . . . .10
Bridge cranes or monorail cranes with hand-geared
bridge, trolley and hoist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
4.10.3 Lateral Force
The lateral force on crane runway beams with
electrically powered trolleys shall be calculated as
20% of the sum of the rated capacity of the crane
and the weight of the hoist and trolley. The lateral
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force shall be assumed to act horizontally at the trac-
tion surface of a runway beam, in either direction
perpendicular to the beam, and shall be distributed
with due regard to the lateral stiffness of the runway
beam and supporting structure.
4.10.4 Longitudinal Force
The longitudinal force on crane runway beams,
except for bridge cranes with hand-geared bridges,
shall be calculated as 10% of the maximum wheel
loads of the crane. The longitudinal force shall be as-
sumed to act horizontally at the traction surface of a
runway beam, in either direction parallel to the beam.
4.11 REFERENCES
[1] American National Standard Practice for the In-
spection of Elevators, Escalators, and Moving
Walks (Inspectors’ Manual), ANSI A17.2, 1988.
[2] American National Standard Safety Code for Ele-
vators and Escalators, ANSI/ASME A17.1, 1993.
[3] American National Standard for Assembly Seat-
ing, Tents, and Air-Supported Structures, ANSI/
NFPA 102, 1992.
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MINIMUM DESIGN LOADS FOR BUILDINGS AND OTHER STRUCTURES

TABLE 4-1. Minimum Uniformly Distributed Live Loads, Lo and Minimum Concentrated Live Loads

Uniform Concentration
Occupancy or Use psf (kN/m2) lb (kN)
Apartments (see residential)
Access floor systems
Office use 50 (2.4) 2,000 (8.9)
Computer use 100 (4.79) 2,000 (8.9)
Armories and drill rooms 150 (7.18)
Assembly areas and theaters
Fixed seats (fastened to floor) 60 (2.87)
Lobbies 100 (4.79)
Movable seats 100 (4.79)
Platforms (assembly) 100 (4.79)
Stage floors 150 (7.18)
Balconies (exterior) 100 (4.79)
On one- and two-family residences only, and not 60 (2.87)
exceeding 100 ft2 (9.3 m2)
Bowling alleys, poolrooms and similar recreational areas 75 (3.59)
Catwalks for maintenance access 40 (1.92) 300 (1.33)
Corridors
First floor 100 (4.79)
Other floors, same as occupancy served except as
indicated
Dance halls and ballrooms 100 (4.79)
Decks (patio and roof)
Same as area served, or for the type of occupancy
accommodated
Dining rooms and restaurants 100 (4.79)
Dwellings (see residential)
Elevator machine room grating [on area of 4 in.2 (2,580 mm2)] 300 (1.33)
Finish light floor plate construction [on area of 1 in.2 (645 mm2)] 200 (0.89)
Fire escapes 100 (4.79)
On single-family dwellings only 40 (1.92)
Fixed Ladders See Section 4.4
Garages (passenger cars only) 50 (2.40) —1
Trucks and buses —2
Grandstands (see stadium and arena bleachers)
Gymnasiums, main floors and balconies 100 (4.79)4
Handrails, guardrails and grab bars See Section 4.4
Hospitals
Operating rooms, laboratories 60 (2.87) 1,000 (4.45)
Private rooms 40 (1.92) 1,000 (4.45)
Wards 40 (1.92) 1,000 (4.45)
Corridors above first floor 80 (3.83) 1,000 (4.45)
Hotels (see residential)
Libraries
Reading rooms 60 (2.87) 1,000 (4.45)
Stack rooms 150 (7.18)3 1,000 (4.45)
Corridors above first floor 80 (3.83) 1,000 (4.45)
Manufacturing
Light 125 (6.00) 2,000 (8.90)
Heavy 250 (11.97) 3,000 (13.40)
Marquees and Canopies 75 (3.59)
Office Buildings
File and computer rooms shall be designed for
heavier loads based on anticipated occupancy
Lobbies and first floor corridors 100 (4.79) 2,000 (8.90)
Offices 50 (2.40) 2,000 (8.90)
Corridors above first floor 80 (3.83) 2,000 (8.90)

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 ASCE 7-98

TABLE 4-1. Minimum Uniformly Distributed Live Loads, Lo and Minimum Concentrated
Live Loads (Continued)

Uniform Concentration
Occupancy or Use psf (kN/m2) lb (kN)
Penal Institutions
Cell blocks 40 (1.92)
Corridors 100 (4.79)
Residential
Dwellings (one- and two-family)
Uninhabitable attics without storage 10 (0.48)
Uninhabitable attics with storage 20 (0.96)
Habitable attics and sleeping areas 30 (1.44)
All other areas except stairs and balconies 40 (1.92)
Hotels and multifamily houses
Private rooms and corridors serving them 40 (1.92)
Public rooms and corridors serving them 100 (4.79)
Reviewing stands, grandstands and bleachers 100 (4.79)4
Roofs See Sections 4.3 and 4.9
Schools
Classrooms 40 (1.92) 1,000 (4.45)
Corridors above first floor 80 (3.83) 1,000 (4.45)
First floor corridors 100 (4.79) 1,000 (4.45)
Scuttles, skylight ribs, and accessible ceilings 200 (9.58)
Sidewalks, vehicular driveways, and yards, subject to 250 (11.97)5 8,000 (35.60)6
trucking
Stadiums and Arenas
Bleachers 100 (4.79)4
Fixed Seats (fastened to floor) 60 (2.87)4
Stairs and exitways 100 (4.79) —7
One- and two-family residences only 40 (1.92)
Storage areas above ceilings 20 (0.96)
Storage warehouses (shall be designed for heavier loads
if required for anticipated storage)
Light 125 (6.00)
Heavy 250 (11.97)
Stores
Retail
First floor 100 (4.79) 1,000 (4.45)
Upper floors 73 (3.59) 1,000 (4.45)
Wholesale, all floors 125 (6.00) 1,000 (4.45)
Vehicle barriers See Section 4.4
Walkways and elevated platforms (other than exitways) 60 (2.87)
Yards and terraces, pedestrians 100 (4.79)
1
Floors in garages or portions of building used for the storage of motor vehicles shall be designed for the uniformly distributed live loads of
Table 4-1 or the following concentrated load: (1) for passenger cars accommodating not more than nine passengers, 2,000 lb (8.90 kN) acting
on an area of 20 in.2 (12,900 mm2); (2) mechanical parking structures without slab or deck, passenger car only, 1,500 lb (6.70 kN) per wheel.
2
Garages accommodating trucks and buses shall be designed in accordance with an approved method which contains provisions for truck and
bus loadings.
3
The weight of books and shelving shall be computed using an assumed density of 65 lb/ft3 (pounds per cubic foot, sometimes abbreviated pcf)
(10.21 kN/m3) and converted to a uniformly distributed load; this load shall be used if it exceeds 150 lb/ft2 (7.18 kN/m2).
4
In addition to the vertical live loads, horizontal swaying forces parallel and normal to the length of seats shall be included in the design according
to the requirements of ANSI/NFPA 102 [3].
5
Other uniform loads in accordance with an approved method which contains provisions for truck loadings shall also be considered where
appropriate.
6
The concentrated wheel load shall be applied on an area of 20 in.2 (12,900 mm2).
7
Minimum concentrated load on stair treads [on area of 4 in.2 (2,580 mm2)] is 300 lb (1.33 kN).

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MINIMUM DESIGN LOADS FOR BUILDINGS AND OTHER STRUCTURES

TABLE 4-2. Live Load Element Factor, KLL

Element KLL1

Interior columns 4
Exterior columns without cantilever slabs 4
Edge columns with cantilever slabs 3
Corner columns with cantilever slabs 2
Edge beams without cantilever slabs 2
Interior beams 2
All other members not identified above including: 1
Edge beams with cantilever slabs
Cantilever beams
Two-way slabs
Members without provisions for continuous shear transfer normal to their span
1
In lieu of the values above, KLL is permitted to be calculated.

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